HYAT - 41

The elevator arrived.

Ji Qinghe was the first to step out of the elevator.

There was a sliding glass door at the entrance to the parking lot. The moment Ming Jue pushed the door open, the noisy air from the parking lot, mixed with the sound of tires scraping against the ground, rushed in.

He held the glass door open, turning slightly to let Ji Qinghe go first.

With that glance, Ming Jue finally understood what riddle Ji Qinghe had been hinting at earlier.

Shen Qianzhan, in a light beige business suit, was sitting squarely on the car’s hood, one stiletto heel on the license plate and the other on the bumper. The posture, like someone coming to collect an overdue insurance payment, radiated a “let’s settle accounts” vibe from inside out.

Seeing that the two seemed to have something to discuss, Ming Jue didn’t even look for an excuse and turned back to the elevator lobby to wait on the first floor.

The parking lot was a maze of cold air currents.

Ji Qinghe looked her up and down, his gaze lingering for a few seconds on her exposed ankles: “Aren’t you cold?”

She was!

Shen Qianzhan retracted her ankles, but maintained her composure: “I was waiting for you.”

A faint smile appeared on Ji Qinghe’s lips: “I know.” He reached out, motioning for her to come down and talk.

Shen Qianzhan had taken the high ground precisely to diminish Ji Qinghe’s height advantage. She simply ignored his friendly gesture and looked down at him: “There’s something I’d like to confirm with CEO Ji.”

Ji Qinghe had known the moment he saw Qiao Xin that his visit to Qiandeng wouldn’t be hidden from Shen Qianzhan. He wasn’t surprised to see her in the parking lot and was perfectly clear about what she wanted to confirm.

His gaze fell on her exposed ankle. He then took her hand and gently touched her ankle.

He did this so matter-of-factly, as if he was only checking if she was cold. With a light touch, he quickly let go: “There’s a medical saying that the foot is the body’s second heart,” he said, gesturing with a slight nod. “The ankle is a crucial checkpoint for blood flow in the feet.”

With that, without any room for negotiation, he held her lower back with one hand and passed the other through the crook of her knee, lifting her off the hood: “You’re the one who’s afraid of the cold, and you’re the one who wants to be fashionable.”

Ji Qinghe unlocked the car door, his tone authoritative: “Let’s talk in the car.”

Shen Qianzhan opened her mouth to argue: “When have I ever been afraid of the cold?” Last year, for a road suspense film produced by Qiandeng, they went to the high plains of the Northwest and a snow-capped peak. The crew stayed on the mountain for half a month to shoot, and even Su Zan couldn’t handle it, but she wore a set of outdoor windproof down clothes for half a month, bouncing around as if she were on a wilderness adventure instead of suffering.

Ji Qinghe never held back his contempt when they disagreed: “Not afraid of the cold?”

His tone was too aggressive; he wasn’t there to have a discussion with her.

Shen Qianzhan had originally come with the mindset of settling accounts. However, from the moment he stood in front of her, she, the one collecting protection money, was gradually reduced to the one paying it.

She suppressed her inner frustration and said in a low voice: “I just want to confirm one thing, no need for all this trouble.”

Ji Qinghe blocked her path, looked at her intently for a few seconds, and then replied: “Xiang Qianqian?”

He was so candid that Shen Qianzhan wasn’t sure whether to continue asking. She tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear, carefully choosing her words: “Did CEO Ji help her at CEO Jiang’s request, or because of me?”

Shen Qianzhan was clearly a smart person.

She used logical thinking and could immediately eliminate shallow answers.

Sometimes, Ji Qinghe didn’t know if this rationality of hers was a good or bad thing; in any case, it wasn’t very friendly to him.

He didn’t answer directly: “What answer do you hope to get from me?”

Ji Qinghe’s features were cold and stern, and his oppressive presence subtly trapped her in the space between their breaths: “If you’re not ready to handle the consequences, don’t ask so many questions, hmm?”

His words clearly indicated that it had something to do with her.

Shen Qianzhan immediately thought of the embarrassing press releases that had been suppressed by Bu Zhong Sui’s public relations department back then and bit her lip.

Qiandeng’s PR department had been prepared for a fight, but before the new year, everything was calm, without a single ripple.

The new year had been so peaceful that she had almost forgotten about the whole incident.

Shen Qianzhan looked up, met his gaze for three seconds, and then relented: “I owe you one.” She didn’t want to say more and turned to leave. After a few steps, she remembered something: “CEO Ji is a big shot. You’re not going to steal my family’s thermos, are you?”

Ji Qinghe’s focus was clearly different from hers: “Your aunt still wants to cook for me?”

Shen Qianzhan’s lips twitched, and this time she left without any hesitation.

When she entered the elevator lobby, the company’s warm air rushed towards her.

Shen Qianzhan straightened her back, like a proud little peacock, with her chin slightly raised, waiting for the elevator to arrive.

It was only after she stepped into the elevator, no longer feeling Ji Qinghe’s gaze, that she finally squatted down and rubbed her ankles, which were now a sore, bright red.

She was freezing!

Shen Qianzhan’s demands on her appearance were simply rigorous. Whenever she left the house and might see people, she had to be armed from head to toe. Even if she didn’t want to contour, she would at least apply an Armani “no-makeup” cream to brighten her complexion.

In terms of clothing, let alone thermals, she found even a wool skirt too bulky in winter. Her closet, aside from two down jackets that were perpetually at the bottom of a drawer, was full of flowing and stylish long coats. Not to mention the different dress codes for different occasions.

Her strict self-discipline and constant pursuit of a perfect, polished image were often used as a positive example by many managers in their training sessions, making her a role model for image management. As a result, when Shen Qianzhan occasionally appeared with or ran into certain artists, they would always bow down to her.

Enduring the cold was a sacrifice for fashion; it was nothing to her.

________________________________________

Not long after, as Ai Yi had predicted, Qiandeng and Xiang Qianqian parted ways amicably.

Less than an hour after the company’s statement was released, Jian Xin’s production company’s historical political drama couldn’t wait to officially announce Xiang Qianqian’s character look.

Shen Qianzhan could understand this move.

Xiang Qianqian’s fans, who were already sympathetic to her past hardships at Qiandeng, did not thank the company for the magnanimous and peaceful termination, but did stop fighting and declared a truce. This was the peak of the fans’ passionate phase of “I will accompany my sister forever and ever.” Jian Xin seized this psychological moment and aggressively raised its profile.

Su Zan put the hot-before-it-was-even-broadcast historical political drama, “Phoenix’s Return,” in front of Shen Qianzhan and complained: “Although I’m happy that Xiang Qianqian can get good resources after leaving Qiandeng, why does it feel so annoying?”

“It’s normal.” Shen Qianzhan squinted as she filed her nails: “Even a magnanimous person like me is annoyed, let alone you, who are not as cultivated.”

Su Zan, with his sister Su Lanyi above him, had a knack for sniffing out information, and he scurried over like a fly attracted to a scent: “You’re probably annoyed for more than just Jian Xin, aren’t you?”

Shen Qianzhan glanced at him, not taking the bait: “What gossip have you heard now? Tell me about it.”

“I knew that Xiang Qianqian’s peaceful departure from Qiandeng was all because of CEO Ji. I asked my sister, but she told me I was a kid and shouldn’t get involved, so she didn’t reveal a thing.” Su Zan couldn’t keep a secret, and the more he talked, the more he spilled: “A few days ago, my sister and CEO Ji had dinner together. Xiang Qianqian also came, which annoyed my sister so much that she left halfway through the meal.”

The small file in Shen Qianzhan’s hand dug deeper, and half of her nail was filed flat.

She stared at it for a while, and the more she looked, the more it bothered her, so she simply took a nail clipper and cut off the ruined nail completely.

After she finished clipping, Shen Qianzhan’s rationality returned.

She looked at the one bald, out-of-place nail, and wanted to cry.

How strange! Why did it matter to her who Ji Qinghe had dinner with? Why was she so agitated?

That said, when Shen Qianzhan, after finishing her nails, saw Ji Qinghe in the parking lot on her way home, her little heart fluttered honestly.

There was both a bit of surprise and an emotion she couldn’t quite name fermenting within her.

In the few steps it took her to walk from her car to him, she had estimated his intentions. But all her guesses shattered into dust the moment she saw Ji Qinghe pull a thermos out of his car.

The expression on her face cracked, and her tone failed to hide her astonishment: “You’re here to return the thermos?”

Ji Qinghe took his hand out of his suit pants pocket and lightly adjusted his glasses: “Surprised?”

A little.

But she couldn’t say the truth directly, so Shen Qianzhan refined her words: “I was just kidding that day. And for you to bring it back in person...” She stopped there, showing a very appropriate embarrassed smile. She looked nothing like the person who had questioned Ji Qinghe about being a big company CEO who would even pocket a thermos.

But the moment Shen Qianzhan took the thermos, its heavy weight made her look at him suspiciously: “Is there something inside?”

“Buddha’s Temptation.” Ji Qinghe glanced at his watch, seemingly questioning her work schedule: “Did you work overtime today?”

Shen Qianzhan was too embarrassed to say she had gone to the nail salon after work, and her voice was a little flat: “No, I just got back late.”

Ji Qinghe had no reason to investigate her whereabouts, so he nodded slightly: “Please extend my thanks to your aunt.”

He was so polite that Shen Qianzhan felt a bit uneasy. She tentatively asked: “Have you had dinner? Why don’t you come to my place and have something to eat?”

Ji Qinghe hesitated for a moment.

His hesitation was perfectly timed, like a string on a marionette, leaving Shen Qianzhan’s heart in suspense, neither letting her relax nor settle down.

Just as her patience was about to run out and she was about to change her mind, he slowly and politely declined: “Let’s not bother tonight.”

Shen Qianzhan let out a sigh of relief, though she couldn’t tell if the stone that had been hanging by a thread had sunk or was still stuck in her chest. She nodded, waiting for him to say his goodbyes first.

After a brief pause, Ji Qinghe mentioned, as if casually: “I heard from Dr. Fei that the surgery is scheduled for tomorrow.”

“Yes.” The thermos was heavy to hold with one hand, so Shen Qianzhan used her other hand to support the bottom. She said: “My mom wants to go and be with her, so I have to take her there tomorrow.”

“Cardiac surgery is quite delicate, and the operation will take a while.” Ji Qinghe’s tone was normal, and he said casually: “Post-operative recovery is long, and she’ll need careful care after she’s discharged.”

Shen Qianzhan didn’t know much about this, so she just nodded: “Thank you for the reminder, CEO Ji.” Her words immediately pushed the recently improved atmosphere away again.

Ji Qinghe frowned almost imperceptibly and said: “You don’t have to call me CEO Ji in private.”

Here it comes.

The novel trope of trying to get closer by changing how they address each other!

Shen Qianzhan was internally churning but remained calm on the surface: “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

On the surface, this sentence seemed to agree and compromise, but it was actually like a thorny stem; whoever touched it would get pricked.

However, the thorn was soft, only hurting without drawing blood.

Ji Qinghe raised an eyebrow slightly, not pressing the issue: “Whatever you want.”

He lifted his wrist and looked at the time again: “I have something to do later. I’m leaving now?”

He let the last part trail off, sounding like he was asking for her opinion.

“Okay.”

Shen Qianzhan looked down at his feet. The snow on the wheels had melted into a puddle on the ground.

She wondered how long Ji Qinghe had been waiting for her here.

Her sympathy stirred, and her hand reacted before her brain, tapping on the car window: “Ji Qinghe.”

The car window on the driver’s side rolled down. Ji Qinghe rested his elbow on the window frame, a half-smile on his face: “I was just wondering when you would call me.”